Biman calls Mamata uranta pakhi

Bose was participating in a party workshop at Behrampore Rabindra Sadan when he said, "Murshidabad has a long history of communal harmony. Don't give any aposhakti (evil power) any chance to spread base here. The election uranta pakhis only come, give their speech and again fly away. You can't find them supporting the people 365 days a year. Some uranta pakhis have already arrived and few more will come shortly. But people shouldn't trust them."

Asked by the media what he meant by uranta pakhis, the CPI(M) state secretary said, "The people who come in a helicopter, give speeches and again fly away, they are uranta pakhis."

Trinamool chief and railway minister Mamata Banerjee had called Rahul Gandhi a "bird of passage" at a meeting in north Bengal on the eve of the Congress leader's visit to Bengal in September last year.

Bose sees no difference between the Congress, Trinamool and BJP. "All are busy protecting the interests of the rich. And it has been proved at the time of the pension bill. The Congress-Trinamool-led central government is reducing taxes for the rich and withdrawing subsidies for the poor."

When the Left Front chairman was asked whether his party would benefit in seats where Congress-backed independents are contesting, he said, "We aren't bothered about jot-ghot, not-ghat (read alliance infighting here) in Murshidabad. The Left Front has no unity problem in this district. Also the Front is not discussing fielding of independents and the alliance of opposition parties. Our emphasis is on increasing our vote share."

The Left Front chairman said, "Only we are fighting against the GJM's plan of dividing Bengal. Everyone knows about the closed-door meeting between the Trinamool chief and GJM leaders. We have found that the GJM is supporting anti-Left candidates in 12 seats in north Bengal. What does that amount to?"